Packaging Maketh the Person

The multi million pound cosmetics industry is acutely awareof the value of packaging. You'll know this if you've everbought anything from those glamorous ladies whose countersare always just inside the front door of Department stores.

However, from time to time we're presented with surveysabout the creams we rub on our bodies which take years offour age and make our skin as soft as a baby's bottie. Thesurveys tell us "Buy the cheap stuff or the own label onefrom the supermarket, 'cause they're all the same."

But do we? Of course we don't. Human beings are driven byemotions not logic and never more so when spending theirmoney. People buy with their eyes, we love packaging. Themarketing and merchandising experts have it down to a fineart and know the colours and shapes that we're most likelyto buy. They then design their packaging accordingly andmake sure it grabs our attention.The product in the packaging has to do what it says it'lldo, however if it looks like it can do the business, thenwe're more likely to believe it can.

It's just the same with people. Whether we like it or not,people are likely to make judgements about us by the waywe're packaged. They'll then decide whether they like us,whether they'll give us a job or even just believe what wesay. This seems to be so obvious. Yet I've seen professionalspeakers with scuffed shoes, business leaders with outdatedsuits and politicians wearing clothes that don't fit them orsuit their shape.

A few months ago I attended a function where an accountantwas invited to speak about his business. He told theassembled audience how efficient his business was and abouttheir attention to detail. However his tie was undone andhis shirt looked like he was breaking it in for a smallerfriend. His suit, though probably expensive, wasn't theright colour for him and merely drew attention to the factthat its wearer liked his grub. All of the things he was saying were totally contradicted byhow he was packaged.

Lawyers, accountants, plumbers or software engineers; itdoesn't matter what you do, other people are very liable tomake a judgement about your abilities by how you'repackaged. Your colleagues and your boss will all makedecisions about the quality of your work and your promotionprospects by your dress and image.

There's the famous story about the 1960's pre-electiontelevision debates between John F. Kennedy and RichardNixon. These debates were also heard on radio, which wasmuch more popular at the time. After the debates a poll wastaken of how TV and radio audiences had reacted to the twoparticipants. The radio audience voted for Nixon, howeverthe TV audience voted overwhelmingly for Kennedy. The TVaudience liked the look of Kennedy better than Nixon - theyliked the packaging.

We also tend to make decisions very quickly about people wecome into contact with. Psychologists have established thatwe subconsciously make around eleven decisions about otherpeople within the first six seconds of meeting them.Personnel managers have admitted in surveys to making adecision about a job applicant within the first thirtyseconds of an interview, these decisions being madeprimarily on how the people looked and carried themselves.

How we look will confirm or contradict what we say. Imaginesomeone in a policeman's uniform at your door telling youhe's come to read the gas meter, I doubt if you'd believehim. First impressions are also lasting impressions andtake a lot of changing.

Okay, so we can't all have the perfect looks or the perfectbody, what ever that is. It doesn't matter what shape youare but it does matter how you package that shape, if youwant to make an impact on other people.

How you package yourself can also make a huge difference toyour self-confidence. Have you ever noticed how confidentand self-assured you feel when you dress in something youfeel good in? Particularly when someone genuinelycompliments you. How you dress can have a huge impact on howyou carry yourself and project to other people.

The problem is that many of us don't have a clue as to whatreally suits us and compliments our shape. This is why somany business people are turning to an image consultant toimprove their personal impact. This may seem like a costlyluxury however consider the cost of restricting your careeror possibly not winning a new account.

Dress down Friday is a particular challenge for men. Thetemptation for many guys is to pull on an old pair of chinosand a worn out polo shirt and hope for the best. The onlything is you end up looking scruffy and certainly don'timpress anyone.

So what do you do? Well you could ask your nearest anddearest to be honest with you and tell you what they reallythink about what you wear. The thing is, you really need tolisten and take heed of what they say.

Buy some of the fashion magazines and keep up to date on thelatest fashion. It can also help to find a good clothesstore where the sales assistants will give unbiased advice.

It's also important to look after the details. Do yourspectacles suit your face? Are you in need of a more modernhaircut? What does that cheap plastic watch say about you?Men need to be careful about novelty ties and fancy sockswith a business suit. Women need to take care with make-up,colours and perfume.

You may have a lot more to offer than a jar of anti wrinklecream or a packet of cornflakes; however no one is going topick you off the shelf if they don't like your packaging.

Alan Fairweather is the author of four ebooks in the "Howto get More Sales" series. Lots of practical actions youcan take to build your business and motivate your team.-http://www.howtogetmoresales.com